Evaluation of Heavy Metals Concentrations in Private Pipe Borne Water from Designated Flooded Areas in Parts of Rivers State, Nigeria

Water is one of the most important resource available to man. Therefore, several studies had been done and many on the way to find out the worth of consumable water with respect to the determination of the concentration of heavy metals present. This study was done to assess the concentration of heavy metals in selected tap water used for drinking from selected Local Government Headquarters in Rivers State, Nigeria. Tap water samples were collected from Tai, Obio/Akpor, Port Harcourt, Oyibo and Eleme Local Government Areas (LGA) of Rivers State, Nigeria. A composed six water samples were taken from each LGA. The samples were then examined for heavy metals which include cadmium (Cd), lead (Pb), arsenic (As) and iron (Fe). The results of the analysis in all the examined stations showed lower values than those of SON, USEPA, EU and WHO. During dry season, Cd values varied from 0.0004 to 0.0008 mg/L, Pb values ranged from 0.0004 to 0.004 mg/L, As varied from 0.0002 to 0.004 mg/L and Fe was detected only at Oyibo at a value of 0.80 mg/L (which was higher than the required value of 0.3 mg/L by the different regulatory bodies. In the rainy season, the concentrations of all the metals (Cd, Pb and As) with the exception of Fe were in all the of the same value of 0.001 mg/L, while Fe was undetected in all the samples. The obtained results showed that the water is good for drinking based on the examined heavy metals results. The low values of all examined heavy metals is owing to the absence of industrial activities within the areas samples were obtained. However, the portability of the water should be proved first after due consideration of other important water quality parameters.This study investigates the microbial contamination and physicochemical properties of beef and chicken subjected different processing techniques. Meat samples were purchased from Choba market in Port Harcourt, and were prepared for uniformity in size and composition. Microbial analysis was conducted using standard methods. The THBC ranged from 6.60 × 10³ to 2.50 × 10⁴ CFU/g in boiled meat and 1.20 × 10⁴ to 2.40 × 10⁶ CFU/g in fried samples, while TFC values ranged for boiled samples, the log CFU/g values ranged from 0.90 to 1.82 log CFU/g, for fried samples, the log CFU/g values ranged from 1.08 to 1.82 log CFU/g. from 8.00 to 16.00 CFU/g in boiled and 12.00 to 36.00 CFU/g in fried samples. The TCC and TSC were also measured, showing significant levels of coliforms and Staphylococci in both meat types. Bacteria isolated from the meat samples Bacillus sp, Staphylococcus sp, Micrococcus sp, Enterococcus sp, Escherichia coli and Proteus sp while fungi isolated include. Proximate composition showed that fried beef and chicken had higher crude lipid and carbohydrate contents, whereas boiled beef and chicken exhibited higher moisture and crude protein percentages. The results of this study indicate that frying reduces microbial contamination more effectively due to higher temperatures but results in increased lipid and carbohydrate content. Boiling, however, preserves more moisture, protein, and minerals, highlighting the need for optimized cooking methods to balance microbial safety and nutritional retention.